Saturday’s Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso is run 10 days before the 2024 Cheltenham Festival and to add extra spice to the 2m Handicap, each year the race sponsors put up an extra bonus. But just what is this added incentive and how does it work?
£100k Morebattle Hurdle Bonus Should The Winner Go Onto Land ANY Cheltenham Festival Race
Kelso racecourse will play host to their biggest raceday on the horse racing calendar this Saturday with four of their six Premier Raceday contests also LIVE on ITV Racing.
The Premier Novices’ Hurdle and Premier Chase are two of the main races, but the meeting is spearheaded by the bet365 Morebattle Handicap Hurdle – mainly due to the sponsors adding a £100k carrot to owners in addition to the £65k first prize.
This extra bonus provides an added sub-plot to the race, should the winner go onto land ANY Cheltenham Festival race later that month.
Meaning connections of the winning horse could win £60k + £100k (bonus), plus any further Cheltenham race winnings.
Therefore, with this additional reward it’s no shock to see many of the bigger NH stables trotting off to Scotland to try and bag the bonus – including Nicky Henderson, who has won the race twice since 2016, Dan Skelton and Grand National -winning handler Lucinda Russell.
You can also see below, which of the 2024 Morebattle Hurdle runners have Cheltenham entries.
The Shunter Was The Last Horse To Win The Morebattle Hurdle Bonus In 2021
12 months ago (2023), Benson won the Morebattle Hurdle but the bonus dream for this Sandy Thomson runner fell short at the Festival, when he was pulled up in the Coral Cup eleven days later.
The 2022 winner Cormier did a bit better when 7th in the County Hurdle but wasn’t disgraced with a certain State Man winning that Cheltenham race.
However, just a year earlier it was The Shunter that cemented his name into the Morebattle Hurdle history books when this Emmet Mullins runner won the Kelso race and then 12 days later followed up in the Paddy Power Plate, when switching to chasing (watch below).
The rules to get the bonus state – ANY – Cheltenham Festival race (that same season), so this was a shrewd move by connections going over fences. Plus they also offset the 5lb rise in the ratings by booking the useful Jordan Gainsford, who was able to claim a handy 7lbs. Clever stuff.
The Shunter has since further showcased his versatility by winning the 2023 Cesarewitch Handicap at Newmarket on the flat.
Which Morebattle Hurdle Runners Hold 2024 Cheltenham Festival Entries?
So, with the Morebattle bonus in mind, let’s also take a look at which 18 horses who hold an entry in ANY Cheltenham race – including last year’s winner Benson who is back for more and looking to become the first repeat winner in the contest since Cyrus Darius in 2017/18.
Meaning should they win this Kelso handicap hurdle on Saturday will still have the £100k dream alive.
- Benson: Coral Cup, County Hurdle
- Under Control: Champion Hurdle, Mares’ Hurdle & County Hurdle
- Anyharminasking: Coral Cup, County Hurdle, Martin Pipe
- Geromino: County Hurdle, Martin Pipe
- Little Mixup: No Cheltenham Entry
- N’Golo: No Cheltenham Entry
- Bingoo: County Hurdle, Martin Pipe
- Rewired: No Cheltenham Entry
- Bass Rock: No Cheltenham Entry
- Salsada: County Hurdle
- Ginger Mail: No Cheltenham Entry
- Caithness: No Cheltenham Entry
- The Churchill Lad: No Cheltenham Entry
- Black Hawk Eagle: No Cheltenham Entry
- Ganapathi: No Cheltenham Entry
- Skycutter: No Cheltenham Entry
- Cracking Rhapsody: No Cheltenham Entry
- Ballygeary: No Cheltenham Entry
When Is The Morebattle Hurdle at Kelso?
📅Time/Date: 3:25pm, Saturday 2nd March 2024
🏇Racecourse: Kelso
💰 Winner: £61,728
📺 TV: RacingTV / ITV
Morebattle Hurdle Winners (Last 10 Years)
- 2023: Benson
- 2022: Cormier
- 2021: The Shunter
- 2020: Abandoned (Waterlogged)
- 2019: We Have A Dream
- 2018: Cyrus Darius
- 2017: Cyrus Darius
- 2016: Top Notch
- 2015: Glingerburn
- 2014: Runswick Royal
WATCH: Benson Winning The 2023 Morebattle Hurdle
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